Screams
by Apollo77
Summary: There are many kinds of screams. Screams can be of joy, excitement, anger, or even terror. Who's behind the mysterious voice that's making White scream? Can Black save her in time? What kind of screams will be heard?
1. 1: Scream of Surprise

**Special thanks to Zephyrsword for this challenge! Hope you enjoy this story! Remember to send me your challenges to help me write more stories like this!**

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**Chapter 1- Scream of Surprise**

It was just a normal day in Nimbasa City when White heard the voice. She and Black were at the amusement park, having fun on the rides and training. Elesa was on vacation, so everywhere in the amusement park was open to guests to ride, even the roller coaster in her gym. That's where White was, riding the rails to her heart's content. Black was sitting next to her in the first car, his hands in the air and yelling loudly. They felt the air rush past them as the car sped up and accelerated toward the loop. This was always White's favorite part; she loved the feeling of being suspended upside down for that split second, dangling helplessly from the car.  
"Woo!" She screamed as she felt herself being pulled downward by the loop's gravity.  
"Yeahhh!" was Black's reply as they descended the rest of the loop. The car rounded the last curve and slowly decelerated to a stop.  
"Again?" Black asked.  
"Again!" White agreed. They remained seated in the car and waited for the ride to start up again. They were definitely doing more roller coaster riding than training, for this marked their sixth ride in a row. The ride started again, and White could feel the excitement surge through her as they sped toward the first curve. They were jerked to the side of the car as they rounded the curve and headed to the first loop, their favorite part.  
"Woo!" White screamed.  
"Yeahhh!" Black yelled.  
"_Whoaaa!_"  
White whirled around to find the direction of where this scream came from, but she could find no one else making that loud of a noise. "Strange," she thought out loud. "I wonder where that came from."  
"You say something?" Black shouted at her.  
"No," she shouted back. The car twisted around another bend and approached the last loop. "Woo!" she screamed.  
"Yeahhh!" Black yelled.  
"_Whoaaa!_"  
White heard the scream again. It was very high-pitched, like that of a little girl, bit it didn't seem to be coming from any particular direction. Bewilderment was written all over White's face as the roller coaster slowed to a halt.  
"You okay, White?" Black asked, noticing her expression.  
"Umm, y-yeah," White stammered shakily. "Can we n-not g-go on the r-roller c-coaster again?"  
"Alright," Black said, now seemingly oblivious to her unease. "We gotta catch up on our training anyway. Let's go."

Black and White surveyed the amusement park until they found an open space suitable for battling. It was a grassy plain littered with sparse groups of trees. Black and White spaced themselves apart and each clutched a Poke Ball in one hand.  
"Ready, White?" Black asked.  
"Bring it on!" White answered, her confidence having returned. "Servine, come on out!" Servine appeared in front of White and stretched its body out.  
"Go, Pignite!" Black called. Pignite came out of its Poke Ball, flexing its arms. "You go first," Black offered.  
"Alright. Servine, use Leech Seed!" White ordered. A seed sprouted from Servine's tail as it quickly slithered up to Pignite.  
"Dodge it!" Black commanded. Pignite did its best to try to avoid Servine, but the agile grass snake was too quick for the bulky fire pig. Servine got in range and flicked its tail, sending the Leech Seed at Pignite. The seed sprouted vines that wrapped around Pignite, glowing red every so often to sap the Pokémon's energy.  
"_Nice move._"  
"Who said that?" White asked.  
"Said what?" Black responded, tilting his head to the side.  
"Oh, um, nothing," White said, more and more perplexed.  
"Ok, then. Pignite, Flame Charge!" Black shouted. Pignite stamped its feet on the ground, creating a thick cloud of dust. It released a plume of flames, shrouding itself in the enflamed dust. Engulfed in the fire, it charged at Servine. White, still mulling over this weird voice, failed to notice this until Pignite was only a few yards away.  
"Servine, dodge!" She yelled shrilly. Servine slithered away as quickly as it could, but was a second too late, and it was struck in the tail by the flaming Pignite. Servine hissed in agony at the burning impact.  
"_Pay attention, you idiot._"  
White was now on the verge of insanity from this eerie voice.  
"Umm, White?" Black asked, finally noticing her unease. "You sure you're good? You seem really...off today."  
"Yeah," White answered. "I guess I am."  
"Pignite, return!" The Pokémon was sent back to its Poke Ball. "It's getting a bit late anyway, you should just head to sleep." Black advised.  
"Alright, I guess I will." White agreed. "Servine, return!" Servine returned to its Poke Ball as well. "Good night!" She turned and headed to the Pokémon Center where she and Black were staying while in Nimbasa.

White entered her room at the Pokémon Center and flopped on the bed out of exhaustion. Not physical exhaustion, but of mental exhaustion from trying to decipher the source of the voice. Who was talking to her? How was she talking to her? Why was she talking to her? All questions without answers.  
"_Damn it! Whoever you are, why are you doing this to me?_" She screamed in her mind.  
"_Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you._"  
"_Who said that?_" White asked cautiously.  
"_Teeheehee, I did._"  
"_And you are?_" White was getting more and more intrigued by the voice.  
"_My name is Darcia,_" the girl finally introduced herself.  
"_Okay, Darcia, why the hell are you in my head?_" White snapped.  
"_Teehee!_" Darcia giggled cutely. "_Because I can telepathically talk to people! And it's fun!_"  
"_Why me?_" White persisted.  
"_Because I'm booored,_" Darcia whined, hedging the question. "_Will you come play with me?_"  
"_Um, no, sorry, but I need to get some rest,_" White said, annoyed. "_But seriously, why are you doing this to me?_"  
"_Maybe I'll tell you if you come play with me!_" Darcia bribed.  
"_Oh, fine,_" White gave in. She hoped that playing with this stupid little girl could clear her mind since she didn't have to worry about where the voice was coming from. Then she realized something. "_Wait a minute, how will I find you?_"  
"_That's okay,_" Darcia assured. "_I'll come get you!_"  
"_Wait...WHAT?_" White yelled. She didn't bother waiting for an answer. She immediately dashed to the door and locked it, then did the same with the window. She thought she was safe and calmed down quite a bit. Then she heard the knock on the window. "_Wh-who's th-there?_"  
"_Teehee! I told you I'd find you!_"  
White screamed a shrill scream of pure surprise. Then she blacked out.


	2. 2: Scream of Frustration

**Reviews:**

Spiral Breeze- Thanks Spiral! Darcia is QUITE crazy, but loneliness isn't exactly what's driving her...

Darcia: I'm not crazy! Teehee, but I can make _you _crazy!

Quilava Flare- Thanks Quil, this is really my first time with a horror fic, so I'm glad you think it's going well do far! Of course it must continue, there's a lot more to be revealed about Darcia and why she's tormenting White!

anon- I sure hope it will! Thanks!

Zephyrsword- Thanks Zephyr! Especially glad you like it since you issued the challenge!

TheFlyingVaporeon334876- Thanks so much! I hope your sister isn't as creepy as Darcia though!

CurrentCurrant- Wow, that's an interesting guess, but Darcia is not Iris... That would make for quite the plot twist though!

mnm12345- Thanks mnm! Thanks for setting up that contest too!

Well that's all for the reviews, I can't believe I got this many already!

Darcia: I'm not creepy! That's mean!

You are very, very creepy, but let's let the readers find that out for themselves, shall we?

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**Chapter 2- Scream of Frustration**

Black watched White walk back to the Pokémon Center, leaving him alone in the open field. He still felt like battling someone, so he searched the area for anyone that he could challenge. After a thorough search, he ended up finding no one. Most people he asked he either had beaten already or had intimidated to the point where they were scared of battling him. He didn't do it intentionally, people merely saw him battle and felt they just couldn't win.  
"Am I really that good?" He asked himself. Black recalled one battle where he really humiliated a young trainer. Looking back on it, he began to regret laying on the embarrassment so much, but the kid was too arrogant for his own good. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

"You think you're good? Ha! I challenge you to a battle!"  
Those were the kid's conceited words of a challenge to Black. Never one to decline, Black accepted, knowing full well that the young trainer would prove to be nothing close to a challenge to him.  
"What kind of battle, kid?" Black asked lackadaisically.  
"One on one," the trainer said as if it were obvious and Black should've known. "Your sucky Pokémon versus my super powerful one!"  
"We'll just see about that," Black remarked, the usual excitement of battle nowhere to be found. "Go, Pignite!" Pignite appeared in front of Black, flexing its arms proudly.  
"Ha! That's your Pokémon?" The kid scoffed. "Prepare to lose! Go, Patrat!" The Patrat came out of its Poke Ball, not looking very intimidating at all. It seemed to shake at the very sight of Pignite.  
"You've got to be kidding me," Black shook his head. "Is that REALLY your 'super powerful' Pokémon?"  
"How dare you insult my awesome Pokémon!" The boy shouted. "Patrat, use Tackle!" The Patrat hesitated for a bit, then ran at Pignite as fast as it could. Black barely resisted the urge to completely burst out laughing.  
"Pignite, use Arm Thrust!" he called. Pignite waited for the charging Patrat to get close, then shoved its thick arm forward, bludgeoning the poor creature. It swung its arms twice more, striking the Patrat with staggering super-effective strikes. The Patrat was flung backwards by the force, landing in a heap next to its trainer.  
"Waah!" the kid wailed, shocked. "C'mon Patrat, get up and hit him already!" The Patrat was barely in any condition to move, let alone attack Pignite. Nevertheless, it got up shakily and waited for a command, still shaking nervously. The boy was staring expectantly at Patrat, even though he had not issued another command.  
Black was getting impatient and decided to end this bore of a battle. "Pignite, Flame Charge!" Pignite enveloped itself in a veil of fire and darted at the helpless Patrat. The kid gave no command to dodge, but rather simply expected Patrat to do something. As Pignite rapidly approached, Patrat threw its arms up in an attempt to ward off the blow. It was futile though, for Pignite bashed into Patrat with devastating power. Patrat flew backwards once more, but his time had no chance of getting back up. Spirals in its eyes, it lay still, obviously out cold. Well, obvious to everyone but the trainer.  
"Get up!" he screamed in frustration. "Get up, get up, get up!"  
"Kid, that thing's out cold," Black stated the obvious. "Pignite, return." Pignite was pulled back into its Poke Ball.

"That's not fair!"  
The boy was whining on and on about his loss. "You cheated, that's how you won!" Needless to say, he wasn't getting anywhere.  
"Kid, I won fair and square," Black answered calmly. "If you really want to win, train your Pokémon. Give it orders, it doesn't just fight by itself. There is no such thing as a weak Pokémon, but only a weak trainer."  
"You're calling me weak?" the kid snapped.  
"Yes, actually," Black said. "You have to learn the fundamentals of battling before you can even try to be good."  
By now a large crowd had encircled them and was laughing at the young trainer.  
"How dare you embarrass me like this!" The kid shouted. "You'll pay for this!"  
"You kind of brought it upon yourself," Black said, his calm only infuriating the kid even more.  
"You'll regret crossing Darius de la Mente!" The boy threatened. "Nobody messes with me! Nobody!"  
"No offense, but what could you possibly do to me?" Black asked curiously.  
"Me? Nothing," Darius admitted. "But I know someone who could make your life a living hell! Muhuhahaha!" The wind seemed to blow twice as hard as he laughed. He flipped off Black and darted away.  
"Weird kid," Black shook his head. He walked off as well, leaving the crowd confused about what had just taken place.

Black didn't know why he remembered this so clearly, but he recalled every detail perfectly.  
"That kid was odd," Black said to himself. Dark clouds began to roll in overhead, so Black decided to head back to the Pokémon Center. "I should probably check on White and see if she's feeling better." A light drizzle started to come down from the grim clouds above, so Black increased his pace a bit.  
That's when he heard the scream. He could instantly tell it was White, so he quickened his pace greatly, knowing something had to be wrong. Having arrived at the Pokémon Center, he used the key that she gave him to enter her room. It was empty. The window was open though, so he dashed to it. What he saw in the distance made his jaw drop. An unconscious White was being dragged away by a shadowy figure. With the person's back to him, Black could not identify the kidnapper. He didn't care though, so he jumped out the window and sprinted toward White. As he neared the unsuspecting figure, he decided to confront him or her.  
"Freeze!" he commanded. The kidnapper obeyed without complaint. "Now, slowly turn around!" This was done as well, and Black was perplexed to see that the figure was just a little girl. Dressed in a black dress, the girl had long purple hair that covered her eyes in the rain, which was closer to pouring now. Black now realized why White was being dragged away so slowly; she was unconscious at the hands of an innocent-looking little girl. The girl simply stood there, motionless. "Well, are you gonna explain yourself?" The girl answered, and her very words seemed to shake Black's soul.

"She's going to be my playmate!" the girl squealed with delight. As she said this, Black's ears started to ring with a high-pitched screech. "And you can't do anything about it!" The ringing continued with greater intensity. "Teeheehee!" The ringing grew to be like an incessant Chimecho's chime, only it was about as loud as a jet engine taking off. Black squeezed his eyes shut and winced in pain. After about 30 seconds, the ringing stopped abruptly. Black opened his eyes and saw the girl off in the distance, still dragging White. He caught up to her again and shouted, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"  
"I told you, silly!" the girl giggled.  
"She's my friend, now give her back."  
"I don't wanna!" The girl put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at Black.  
"Listen, I don't want to hurt you," Black warned impatiently. "But I will if you don't let her go."  
"Then I guess I'll hurt YOU!" the girl stamped her foot on the ground. All of a sudden, a pillar of flame erupted from the ground behind Black, close enough to singe his back.  
"Wahhh!" he yelled as he felt pain surge through his body. He stumbled forward, where another pillar erected itself in front of him. "What the..."  
"Teehee! I warned you!" the girl laughed. "Now, I gotta go, so bye!"  
Before Black could move, two more pillars of flame rose up from the ground, trapping him in the middle of the four pillars. He stood there, unwilling to move in fear of touching the fire. After about an hour, the towers of flame disappeared, leaving Black alone in the woods, with no idea of where White was being taken. He felt his back for a burn wound, but surprisingly found no injury of any kind. "But how?" he wondered. "I got burned, didn't I?" His thoughts drifted back to the girl, who had made the fire appear so easily. "Arghh!" he screamed in frustration. This girl was able to stop him in his tracks with such ease. He felt helpless, stuck in a battle he couldn't win, just like that little kid Darius, who was helpless in battle against him. "How could I lose her like this?" Black asked himself. Then another thought came to him. "How will I ever find her?" He howled in frustration again, wondering how he could ever see her again.

"That's for you, brother," the girl said to herself as she walked away.


	3. 3: Scream of Despair

**Reviews:**

Guest-Yeah, I think I made that a bit too obvious... Oh well, it's not like it's a big secret that had to be kept. It'll be revealed for sure in the story when the time is right.

CandleReaper-Lit, you should know that I'm not going to write the scariest stuff until later... I hope this chapter has enough to at least hold you over.

Spiral Breeze-Thanks Spiral! Hmm, Black is definitely protective of White, but real romance? Only time will tell, if they even see each other again!

Quilava Flare- Thanks Quil! Yeah, I think everyone knows who the little girl is right now. This chapter should make this feel more like a horror, and I have smoe great (and gruesome) ideas for what's to come!

King Boo Fan Girl-Thanks Selena! You'll soon find out that Darcia is everything but innocent... Muhuhahaha...

**Well, that's all the reviews, so now let's get back to the story! (Note: Rating changed from T to M to account for graphic torture and violence.)**

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**Chapter 3- Scream of Despair**

White's eyes slowly fluttered open as she woke up in a foreign room. She was lying on her back and felt sore all over. The first thing she noticed was the lack of light. A single dim lightbulb hung from the ceiling, sporadically flickering out for a split second, which would leave White in total darkness. She saw no windows in the room, and she smelled a musty odor. Two thoughts came into her head.  
"Where am I?" was the first.  
"This feels like a dungeon," was the second.  
White tried to sit up but felt restrained. She could see no ropes or chains covering her body, but was still held down by something unseen. She tried to lift her arms and legs, but they too wouldn't budge an inch.  
"What the hell is going on here?" she groaned, her throat hoarse. A brilliant beam of light illuminated the room as she heard the creak of a door's opening. She shut her eyes, the strong light inflicting a searing pain. After a few seconds, she gradually opened her eyes to adjust to the light. She could now take a good look at herself and the room around her, but what she saw had her completely bewildered.  
"This looks like... A kid's room..."  
The walls were painted carnation pink and were adorned with rainbow patterns that stretched around the room. The floor below her was a pure white rug, which for some reason she didn't feel the texture of. Directly in front of her, a large flat-screen TV sat on a set of drawers made of cherry wood. On the other side of the room, there was a bed surrounded by translucent pink curtains. Several Poke Dolls were scattered around the room, in inhabiting every possible area from the floor beside her bed to the TV stand to a tea party table in another corner of the room. One life-sized Ursaring doll was right next to her, staring her in the face. However, there were still no windows and the musty stench lingered. "This is so weird... What is this, My Little Dungeon? Who would have a room like this?"  
"I would."  
The voice in her head startled White, and she realized that for the door to open fully like it did, someone had to open it. She turned to the door and saw a little girl standing in the doorway. The girl had eerie green eyes and deep purple hair tied back in pigtails. She wore an ebony dress with a deep purple jewel that matched her hair. White didn't recognize her, but after the girl spoke again, White immediately knew who she was.  
"Teehee! Are you ready to play with me?"  
"Are y-you D-D-Darcia?" White asked, trembling with fear.  
"Mmhmm! I'm Darcia! And we're going to have some fun together!" Darcia skipped over to White and made a motion with her hand, and White felt a bit of soreness go away in her waist. She tried sitting up again and succeeded this time, but she still had no control over her limbs. She was now staring straight at the TV. "It's time to watch my favorite show!" Darcia giggled. She skipped to the TV stand, retrieved the remote from a drawer, and turned the screen on. White couldn't help but laugh at what appeared onscreen- the opening number of a cartoon show called "My Little Ponyta". She'd watched this show very often when she was little.  
"Okay, I guess this could be worse," White mumbled to herself. She absentmindedly stared at the TV throughout the duration of the episode, and was rewarded with another. "Really? Again?" she asked Darcia.  
"Yep! I love this show!" Darcia replied, sitting next to White. White managed to keep watching the second episode, and to her dismay, a third episode started.  
"You can't be serious," White said.  
"Am too!" Darcia argued. "This is all you're going to watch for the next few hours, so you might as well enjoy it!"  
"No, I won't!" White persisted defiantly. She turned her head to the right to avoid looking at the screen, and she came face to face with an Ursaring, which roared in her face. White screamed in utter terror at the massive bear Pokémon as it gave her a death stare. Her face blanched, she quickly swiveled her head back toward the TV.  
"Yes, you will! Teehee!" Darcia giggled. "Or else, Ursaring will tear your face off! Enjoy!" Darcia smirked at her, then skipped out of the room, leaving White to watch "My Little Ponyta". Too terrified to move a muscle, she watched episode, after episode, after episode, after episode...

Black bolted back to the Pokémon Center as quickly as he could, gritting his teeth to deal with the pain. He busted through the front door and stumbled up to the desk, where a Nurse Joy looked up in surprise.  
"Whoa, slow down there, Black! What's wrong?" she asked.  
"My friend, White, she was kidnapped!" Black panted, out of breath from the run.  
"Oh my God, that can't be true!" Nurse Joy gasped. "And you witnessed it, too? That must be hard to bear."  
"It is, it definitely is... Do you know where I could get help finding her?"  
"Well, there's the police station, Officer Jenny should be able to get a patrol squad on it."  
"That's good, anyone else?"  
"I'm afraid not, sadly. Maybe try looking around town for capable trainers who can assist you. If Elesa's not busy, I'm sure she'll help you too."  
"That's a good idea too. Thanks for the help, Nurse Joy," Black thanked.  
"No problem, that's what I'm here for! Good luck!" The nurse smiled, then turned back to her work. Black exited the Pokémon Center and rushed to the police station. An officer with a Growlithe met him at the door.  
"Hey there, how can I help you today?" he greeted politely.  
"Can I see Officer Jenny please?" Black asked. "My friend was kidnapped last night."  
"Are you sure of this? Any details, about your friend, the suspects, the location?" The officer was quite skeptical of Black's claim.  
"Yes, I can describe both my friend's and the kidnapper's appearances, and exactly where it happened. My friend who was kidnapped is a Pokémon Trainer named White. The kidnapper is a little girl with green eyes and purple hair. It happened outside the Pokémon Center last night."  
"A little girl?" The officer raised an eyebrow. "A little girl kidnapped a Pokémon trainer?"  
"Yes, she did," Black insisted. "Please, just let me explain my story to Officer Jenny!"  
"Oh, alright kid, but I'm gonna warn you, that story is hardly believable." He led Black down a long hallway, at the end of which was Officer Jenny's office. The other officer knocked on her door.  
"Who is it?" Jenny yelled.  
"Dawson. I got some kid here who wants to tell you a story about a kidnapping."  
"C'mon in, Dawson." Dawson and Black entered Jenny's office. Black noticed that it was not well-kept at all, but instead cluttered with loose papers and other objects strewn around the room. "Sit down, both of you." Black sat down in one of three chairs facing Jenny's desk, Dawson sitting in one to his left. Jenny was seated in a black leather rotating chair, in which she spun to face them. "So, what's the story?" She asked, her eyes not showing much interest. But as Black explained what he saw, trying his best to spare not even the smallest of details, her eyes widened with genuine interest. Black hoped this was a good thing. After he finished his story, Jenny remained silent, merely nodding her head.  
"So?" Black asked, waiting for an answer.  
"See? You're crazy," Dawson said. Then Officer Jenny spoke.  
"This is very interesting indeed."

After about 9 hours straight of mind-numbingly boring cartoons, White drifted off to sleep, which was much more inviting at the time than the fantasy hell that was displayed on the TV screen. Little did she know, this was not a good idea, for about a half an hour later, Darcia came back into the room and was not happy to see her attention having wandered away from the show.  
"She fell asleep?" Darcia muttered to herself angrily. "How dare she! Ooh, I'll make her pay for this!" Darcia stomped over to the sleeping White and stood over her, glaring at her fiercely. She raised a hand over White's forehead, and began to focus. "Let's see how you like this..."

White felt a carpet of grass beneath her still figure. She sat up and noticed that the lush green grass stretched for miles into the distance. Tall trees were sparsely scattered around the area, and vibrant colorful flowers decorated the ground even further.  
"Hmm? This is...nice," White deduced. She stood up, thankful she was able to do so again. She noticed something moving in the distance, it seemed to be coming closer to her. As it neared her, White realized that it was a Ponyta. The Ponyta galloped over to her and rubbed its head against her arm. "Hey there," White said endearingly, petting its muzzle. Three more Ponyta pranced up to her, whinnying happily. "Oh, I see you have friends!" White laughed. The playful Pokémon continued to mingle with her, and White smiled knowing this had to be a dream. Still, it was a good one, so she had no complaints. Then she heard... something. She didn't know what, but it was a low, echoing buzz that penetrated her ears and lingered there. White squeezed her eyes shut in recoil and her hands instinctively flew to her ears. After 10 agonizing seconds, the noise abruptly ceased. "What was that about?" She turned to one of the Ponyta, and was horrified to see that its eye sockets were completely hollowed out. There was no eyeball in either socket, just a dark empty space. "Wahhh?" she gasped. She backed up right into another Ponyta, who also had its eye sockets hollowed out. White looked around and noticed that all four of the Pokémon appeared this way. "W-what's going on h-here?" The Ponyta that approached her first stepped up to her. It then raised its front right hoof and planted it right in White's stomach. White could feel the wind get knocked out of her as she collapsed to the floor. The Ponyta trotted up to her limp body and stamped its hoof on it forcefully. Pain jolted through White as she felt the impact of the hard hoof. The Pokémon raised its leg and struck her again, then again, then once more, each time sending a renewed and strengthened wave of pain into White. At last, the Ponyta stopped, seeming satisfied with its work. "Owww..." White groaned, hurting all over. She had no strength to move an inch, so she just lay there, wondering how her beautiful dream had just changed into a nightmare. Suddenly, she felt something tighten around her wrists and ankles. She forced herself to look, and saw that ropes were fastened around them. Each of the ropes was tied around the back hoof of a Ponyta at the other end. White had a horrible feeling that she knew what would come next. The Ponyta reared back, kicking their front legs in the air. Then they took off running, the rope beginning to unravel. "Oh God, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh-AAAAAAAHHHHH!" White's shrill scream pierced the air as she felt an extremely sharp yank on all four limbs. She felt the tendons in her shoulders and legs separate, and the pain was excruciating. All at once, her limbs broke off with a resounding snap, her screams not stopping despite her hoarse throat. The Ponyta simply ran on, a limb trailing behind each of them as if they didn't even know it was there.

White woke up, drenched in sweat and staring up at the ceiling. "It...was only a dream..." she mumbled. "But it felt so real..." She looked at herself to make sure her limbs were still attached. To her horror, they weren't. She gaped in utter shock at her severed arms and legs, which were bloody messes of bone, torn muscles and tendons, and tons of gore. "Wha...WAAAAAHHH!" White couldn't contain her screams any longer. Then, at the sight of so much blood, she blacked out. Darcia giggled from the other side of the room.  
"That'll teach you."

"What's interesting, Officer Jenny?" Black asked impatiently.  
"How your story makes absolutely no sense," Jenny stated bluntly. "Like, is this a joke?"  
"No, I swear it's true!" Black insisted.  
"I see... Dawson, escort this boy to building 6-C." Jenny ordered.  
"What's that building?" Black asked.  
"The loony bin," Dawson snickered. "Enjoy your stay!" He laughed, grabbed Black by the arm, and dragged him out of the police station.  
"You can't do this to me! I'm not crazy, it's all true!" Black yelled as he was led away. For the first time in his life, he felt despair. Not for himself, but for White. There was no one willing to help her. Even hope had abandoned them.


	4. 4: Scream of Insanity

**Reviews:**

Lost-Sama- What kind of talk, Lit? White has it bad enough already, I don't want you giving Darcia any ideas! :P

jazminewriter- Thanks, that means I did my job! =D Hope you're not too scared to keep reading!

Quilava Flare- Well Quil, it looks like you're stuck with Black then! But of course this isn't rated M just for watching My Little Ponyta 10 hours straight. While that is torture, that's hardly gruesome enough for the rating. I've got some more horrors planned out too, don't you worry!

Good-Girl-Gone-Bad.9- What kind of loony bin _wouldn't_ have straitjackets? You'll definitely enjoy this chapter then!

Crazied Creator- Glad you like it, Kat! Company? What kind of company? Well, of course, only you and I know...

Guest- Am I crazy? I guess you could say that... But I like it that way. XD

**Well, that's it for reviews! Sorry for not updating in so long, but this is a nice long chapter! Enjoy!**

**(Note: Xlesa is an OC by Crazied Creator from her story, Life as a Neman. Hope I wrote her character right!)**

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**Chapter 4- Scream of Insanity**

Thump.  
Thump.  
Thump.  
Thump.  
This was the sound that resounded throughout the room as Black slammed his head into the cushioned white walls. "I don't deserve this," he thought. "I don't deserve to be bound in a straitjacket, left to rot in an insane asylum, just for telling exactly what I had seen. Sure, it sounded ridiculous. But it actually happened! There's no way I dreamt this. Unless I'm still dreaming now. Well, only one way to find out."  
Thump.  
Thump.  
Thump.  
Thump.  
"Damn these white walls for not letting me feel anything. I barely know what's real anymore. I can't even move my arms. Why? Why the hell won't they let me move my arms? What can they possibly think I'll do if I could move my damn arms? I'm not a serial killer!" Black desperately tried to stretch his arms even the slightest amount, but the tightly wrapped white garb refused to loosen at all. "Why? Why? WHY GODDAMNIT?!" Out of the corner of his eye Black noticed a man wearing a white coat and holding a clipboard observing him through the small, rectangular window of the door- the only way out of this prison of ivory. "Oh great, he probably heard my whole rant. I'm really not helping my cause here..." He stopped when he heard a voice. He looked to the door's window once again and saw that a woman, also wearing a white coat, had joined the man with the clipboard. Though the walls were thick and didn't allow much sound to penetrate, he could make out parts of their conversation.  
"...Patient Zero-Six..."  
"...getting...worse..."  
"...this one...not too bad..."  
"...maybe...straighten him out..."  
Black bolted upright but couldn't balance in his awkward position, so he landed face-first into the cushioned floor. "They're going to stick me with some lunatic to calm him down?!" he thought wildly as he stared into the white. "Oh, HELL NO! He'll fricking kill me! I can't let this happen to me." The door opened, and Black looked up to find the man and woman staring down at him, their expressions full of the pretense of eagerness.  
"Hey there, sillyhead," the woman gushed. "Are you lonely?"  
"No." Black glared at them fiercely.  
"Aww, yes you are!" The man cooed. "We've got a friend for you to meet! Come on in!" Black heard footsteps and started to sweat. They grew closer, louder, closer, louder, closer. He couldn't take the suspense. Closer, louder, closer. And then he saw him.  
"You!"

White awoke to see pink. She sat up and saw that she was in a bed, wearing strange lavender pajamas.  
"These aren't mine," she mumbled. "Where did these come from? And WHO PUT THEM ON ME?!"  
"Morning, sleepyhead!" a familiar voice giggled. White brushed aside the curtains separating her from the rest of the room, and saw the eerie little girl who made her remember everything.  
"You!" White exclaimed. "Why are you doing this to me?!"  
"I'm not telling you!" Darcia replied in a singsong voice.  
"Hey, Sis!"  
Darcia whirled around, and behind her White saw a little boy, no older than Darcia, standing in the doorway. The boy had Darcia's striking green eyes, but unlike Darcia had a medium length crop of black hair. White could've sworn she'd seen him somewhere.  
"Darius!" Darcia scolded. "Go away, I'm busy!"  
"Fine..." Darius grumbled. He slunk out of the room. And then it hit White like a slap in the face.  
"That kid... He was the one who Black beat up in that Pokémon battle! And Darcia must be his sister! Which means, she must be doing this out of revenge! But why me? Why not take Black; he's the one who humiliated him. Either way, I can't let her know I know this. If she finds out, who knows what she'll do to me?"  
"...so yeah, you'll never find out!" Darcia finished, but White didn't hear a word of it. "Okay, now it's time for My Little Ponyta!" Darcia jumped up and down and clapped her hands giddily. She turned on the TV and dragged White into a chair facing it. "Have fun!" Darcia giggled and left the room, leaving White alone. White stared at the TV, bored out of her mind, until she noticed something.  
"That's odd," she thought out loud. "Something feels...different..." She slowly turned to the right and saw that there was no Ursaring to terrify her. There wasn't even the doll, not yet brought to life by Darcia's...whatever the hell she did. Debating whether to take a chance, White decided to get up from her chair. There were no invisible bonds restraining her now, and she was able to get up without any trouble. "Hmm...I'm surprised she put nothing in here to keep me staring at the screen. Let's see if I can find anything else about this girl." White walked towards the TV and opened a drawer from the cherry wood stand underneath. Inside it she was perplexed to see the clothes she was wearing before she had been abducted, folded in a neat pile. "Huh. There is something seriously wrong with this creepy little girl." White stripped off the lavender pajamas she was wearing and noted that somehow, despite what she had experienced yesterday, there was not a cut or a bruise on her body. She put on her own clothes and instantly felt not only more comfortable, but a bit more in control as well. "Now, let's see what I can dig up." White opened another drawer, found it to be empty, and then tried another. Her jaw dropped. "Oh my God..."

Black couldn't believe his eyes. "You're... You're that guy I met in Accumula Town!"  
"You two know each other?" the woman in the white coat asked.  
"This could be really good or really bad," the man with the clipboard muttered.  
The man whom they had brought stepped into the room. Like Black, he was bound in a straitjacket. However, his long green hair distinguished him from everyone else Black had seen.  
"Fancy seeing you here, Black," the man greeted.  
"Same here... N, was it?" Black replied.  
"Correct," N affirmed.  
"Well then..." the man with the clipboard broke in. "We'll leave you two alone for a bit." He and the other woman left the room, leaving N standing over Black, unable to help him up. They were still for a minute, neither of them saying anything.  
"So Black," N broke the silence, "what brings you here anyway? You didn't strike me as the...crazy type..."  
"Neither did you to me," Black answered, though it wasn't entirely true. "But how I got here is a long story."  
"We've got time," N pointed out.  
"True. Alright, here's what happened..." Black thoroughly explained everything that had happened the past few days, hoping that N would believe him.  
"So...you're saying that White was kidnapped by a little girl who could make fire appear, yet you weren't burned by it?" N restated.  
"Yes, basically," Black nodded. "I know it sounds absurd, but I swear, it's one hundred percent truth!"  
"I know," N agreed. "I believe you."  
"Wait, you do?" Black asked incredulously.  
"Yep, I do. I think I even know exactly who you're talking about."  
"What?! You've gotta be kidding."  
"No, I'm almost positive I know who you're talking about. Did she have long purple hair and green eyes, and was she wearing something black?"  
Black was stunned. "...How did you know?"  
"Because, that kid's been all over the news," N recalled. "Now what was that article on again..."

"Oh my God..." White repeated. "This is just...wrong..."  
White stared, bewildered, at the newspaper articles that lay in the drawer in front of her. The scraps of newspaper all had tragic headlines, and most also had writing on them, commenting or circling something. White picked one up and read it. The headline read, "Inexplicable Deaths at Local Preschool". White gaped at the paper as she took it all in: the story of the deaths of three children and the teacher, all dead from mysterious stab wounds on their bodies, the picture that displayed Darcia and several other toddlers, cowering in a corner, and, worst of all, the annotations written by Darcia herself. A few toddlers in the picture were circled, and written next to them was, "Of course you're scared, you're next!" The name of the teacher was circled, and written next to that was, "Bitch deserved to die." The most horrible of them all was written all around the paper. "Hope they burn in hell!"  
"I can't believe this..." White mumbled. "Who would do such a thing?" She picked up another paper, and the story was nearly the same. "More Inexplicable Deaths at Local Preschool" was the headline. The main difference is that there were fewer kids in the picture of the survivors. And, like the first article, Darcia's writing was all over the page. Disgusted, White threw the page back in the drawer. Then, an interesting headline caught her eye. She grabbed the paper and read it over. "Missing Girl Found Dead" was the headline. The story was about a twelve year old girl who had been missing for about two weeks. Her body was found hanging from a tree, but it appeared to have been self-inflicted. Darcia had written next to the picture of the girl, "At least you still looked pretty hanging! Hahahahahaha!"  
"Oh...my...God..." White gasped. "Darcia drove that girl to kill herself! I can't let her get to me, or else..." White heard footsteps approaching from down the hall, so she quickly shoved the paper back in the drawer and slammed it shut. She sat back down in the chair facing the TV merely seconds before Darcia entered the room.  
"Forgot to make you stay put," she muttered. She waved her hand over White, and White instantly felt that sense of restraint that had bound her to this chair before. "I doubt you realized you were able to move though. Oh well, doesn't matter now! Enjoy!" Darcia skipped out of the room, leaving White to stare at the Ponyta on the screen in front of her.

"So this girl's definitely a giant fricking psychopath then." N had told Black everything he had heard about the little girl in the news. Black was surprised, but not as utterly astonished as one who had never witnessed the girl in action before would have been.  
"Pretty much," N clarified. "She's definitely responsible for all those deaths. Yet everyone refuses to believe someone so young could commit such atrocities."  
"Which is why I'm in here. Which reminds me, why are you in here, N?"  
"Well, remember that day you saw me in Accumula Town? When I was preaching my views about how Pokémon should be free? Well, let's just say that the people of Nimbasa didn't exactly appreciate my beliefs."  
"That's it? That's a bit drastic, don't you think?"  
"You don't have to tell me." N sighed and stared at the wall, feeling an uncontrollable urge to scratch a pesky itch, but remembering that he couldn't use his arms.  
"Wait, but if that's all, then why were they saying you were getting worse or something?" Black asked. "I heard them talking outside my room."  
"Well, they first had me stay in a room with this other girl, Xlesa." N explained. "Really sweet kid, but has what they're diagnosing as 'dissociative identity disorder'. The truth is, her body is possessed-"  
"Wait, possessed?!" Black cut in.  
"Yep, by the ghosts of three of her close friends, who died in a fire. I swear it's true, I've met them before."  
"You have to understand that this is pretty hard to believe."  
"Don't tell her that though," N warned with a stern look. "She'll get really pissed. Which is why she's not in a very good position with the doctors around here. They told her that everything she believed was a lie, and she freaked out on them. One of her alters managed to destroy a whole room before they got her in a straitjacket."  
"Whoa... She sounds dangerous."  
"But she's really a nice girl, just... she's been through a lot lately, that's all. She hasn't really had anyone to call a friend, other than her alters. And me, I guess. I talk to her whenever I see her. Which is a lot less recently, since they moved me out of her room a few months ago..."  
"Wait, then how do you still talk to her if we're stuck in this room?"  
"We're not stuck in here the entire day, silly," N chuckled. He apparently found this very amusing, for he threw his head back and laughed a little harder. "You think...they'd keep us... locked up in-WHOA!" N lost his balance and fell onto his back beside Black, who cackled hysterically at this. Both of them, rolling on the floor and cracking up, looked quite insane indeed to anyone looking in the room. Their laughter gradually died down, and Black got back to business.  
"So, when do we get out of this room?"  
"Well, they let us out for meals, since we do need to eat after all." N replied. At this Black's stomach growled ravenously, and he suddenly remembered how long it had been since he had last eaten. "Huh, I guess you really need to eat. Luckily for you, we get to have lunch in a few minutes."  
"Lunch?! It's the afternoon? But that means... Wait, how do you keep track of time in here?" Black inquired.  
"I don't exactly," N confessed, "but I've gotten quite good at estimating. Xlesa almost has it down to a science; the poor girl's been here for so long. Three years, if I remember correctly. Anyway, the other time that they let us out of here is for what they call 'social hour'. Which in reality is total chaos, because unlike you and I, most of the people in this nuthouse actually deserve to be here. Trying to keep just one of them calm is a Herculean task. So, here's a word of advice: Stay as low-profile as possible. Don't attract any attention, and you just may enjoy your hour. Otherwise... Well, I'll leave that to your imagination. Xlesa and I, we just find a table and talk the entire time. I'd suggest you come with us your first time, just so you can see what it's like without actually being a part of it." A knock at the door startled Black, and he whirled his head to face the door. Another man in a white coat slowly opened the door and peeked his head inside.  
"It's lunch time!" he said in a sing-song voice. "Come here so I can take off your straitjackets!"  
"See, am I good with this time thing or what?" N grinned. "Now c'mon, let's get some food. I'm sure Xlesa will be happy to meet you!" As the man helped N and Black to their feet and removed their straitjackets, Black couldn't help but feel apprehensive. N had said Xlesa was nice, but could he trust his opinion? And what about the others in this place, the ones who N said "deserved to be here"? Black's apprehension swelled into fear. He could only hope he was just overreacting.

The man led Black and N down a long hallway, with several more rooms on either side of them, presumably ones like the one they were staying in. They soon came to a lobby area, which Black recalled seeing on his way in the building. They passed through a set of large double doors, and inside Black saw the strangest cafeteria he had ever seen. The walls were once again padded and white, but the floor was simply a normal tile floor. Food was being served by employees, who for safety reasons stood behind a thick glass wall. There were many tables set up around the room, but with a large amount of space in between them, probably so no conflict arose from patients coming in contact with one another. And of course, there were security guards at every turn, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.  
"Isn't this a bit elaborate?" Black whispered to N.  
"You know, you'd think that, wouldn't you?" N whispered back. "Really though, it's not even close to enough." As if on cue, an alarm blared, causing Black to jump back a few feet. Three guards hastily pulled tasers from their belts and scrambled to the scene. Black could barely make out what was going on in the fray of flying bodies: a patient had attempted to stab another patient with a plastic knife, and as the fight escalated, more and more people joined in the brawl. The guards used their tasers without any hesitation, and within seconds, the energy of the brawl evaporated, leaving nothing but a pile of limp bodies in its wake. Black was speechless.  
"See? What did I tell you?" N said. "It's always total chaos in here. So c'mon, let's get our food and get the hell out of sight." N led Black to the line, where they were given their food. Black stared at his tray and analyzed the food that was on it: a slightly charred hamburger, soggy French fries, and a slightly off-color creamed corn. Could be worse, he shrugged. He continued to follow N to a dimly lit part of the room, far away from the madness that had ensued earlier. Black noticed a girl with striking white hair and brilliant blue eyes sitting at a table in the corner. She appeared melancholy, almost wistful, even, until N sat down next to her. A smile spread across her face as N greeted her.  
"That must be Xlesa," Black realized. She appeared so much more innocent than Black had pictured, with her soft facial features and pure white hair. As N and Xlesa talked and laughed, Black was unsure of what to do. N noticed this and gestured for him to sit down next to them.  
"Xlesa, this is Black," N introduced as Black sat down. "He's new here, and they moved me into his room. It's funny, because I actually met him a few weeks ago, in Accumula Town. And now we've both found ourselves in here."  
"It's nice to meet you, Black!" Xlesa smiled. Her voice was soft, but full of energy. "It's good to know N has another friend in here." Black silently decided that he could call N a friend at this point. Suddenly Xlesa gasped and squeezed her eyes shut.  
"Umm...is she okay?" Black asked.  
"Yeah, she's fine," N assured him. "Probably one of the alters taking over." Black recalled what N had told him about Xlesa's alters. He hoped to God that it wasn't the one who had destroyed a room. Suddenly, Xlesa's eyes flew open. Black half-expected her eyes to change color or something, but all he was met with was a stoic blue stare that could almost reach into his soul. It seemed as if the alter were trying to analyze him and come to some conclusion; Black wished he could do the same, but the face he saw was impossible to read. Silence lingered for nearly a minute, but Black finally spoke up.  
"Umm, hello?" He asked.  
"Hello there," Xlesa answered, except the voice that said it was definitely not Xlesa's. It was much more mature and calm, but with commanding firmness. "Black, is it? Just what brings you here, Black?"  
"Well, my friend was kidnapped, and-"  
"Not why they've put you in here," Xlesa interrupted tersely. "What business do you have with my dear Xlesa?" Black, thinking hard of how he could answer this question and satisfy the alter's demands, took note of how he referred to "my dear Xlesa".  
"Athena, please relax?" N pleaded. "He's a friend of mine, I just thought Xlesa would like to meet him. No need to get your feathers ruffled, heheh." Xlesa, or Athena, rather, gave N a sharp glare after that last remark, for a reason completely unknown to Black. She then turned to Black.  
"Alright then, I suppose I can trust N's word. My name is Athena, and I am a dear friend of Xlesa's. She's like a daughter to me, so it's my responsibility to make sure no harm comes to her. I expect you'll do the same to the best of your ability, correct?" N shot Black a quick glance that gave him the answer he needed.  
"Of course," Black replied. "I wouldn't want any harm to come to anyone."  
"Good," Athena nodded. "We shall meet again." At this, her eyes closed and she gasped once more, and when they opened again, the warm smile on her face let Black know that Xlesa once again was in control.  
"Sorry about that," Xlesa apologized. "Athena's very protective of me, as you can tell. We've been through a lot, so she's just worried, I guess. She doesn't mean any harm."  
"I'm sure," Black half-lied, for Athena had given him quite the chill.  
"So, is there anything you'd like to know about this place?" Xlesa asked. I've been in here long enough; I can probably answer any questions you have."  
"Well, yeah, I've been wondering one thing more than anything," Black confessed. "How do you guys spend your time here? I mean, I must've got thrown in here about... eleven o'clock last night? I probably slept through breakfast, so I've really only been awake for a few hours. Yet it feels like it's been DAYS. This can't be all you do, right? Stay in your rooms, and come out for food?"  
"Well," Xlesa explained, "if you're a highly aggressive or dangerous patient, which by the look of you, that's impossible, then yes, that's what your life here is. Otherwise, they give you time every day to do something that lets you 'vent your aggressive energy', as they put it."  
"Oh?" Black asked inquisitively. "What kind of things do they let you do?"  
"Well, I don't know about what everyone else does, but I take the opportunity to draw," Xlesa shrugged. "I really love art."  
"Oh, that sounds nice," Black said, rather surprised. "N, what about you?"  
"Apparently I'm "dangerous", so I don't get to have any fun," N chuckled, then pretending to pout. "But I'm sure you can find something."  
"Yeah," Black nodded. He knew anything that could make this place more bearable would be just great right now. But it would only be a temporary solution. He needed to find a way out, not only for his sake but for N's, and maybe even Xlesa's. Black never had a very devious mind though, so as he, N and Xlesa continued to talk, the back of his mind simply drew blanks. Things didn't look like they would change anytime soon.


End file.
